DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF SEASONAL THERMOCLINE IN THE DEEP SEA REGION OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

The dynamic characteristics of the seasonal thermocline in the deep sea region of the South China Sea were analyzed by using seasonal mean temperature climatology. The thermocline undergoes remarkably seasonal variation throughout a year, is thinnest and weakest in winter, and thickest in spring, strongest in summer and fall. Due to the upper Ekman transport caused by monsoon over the SCS, the thermocline slopes upward(downward) in winter(summer) from northwest to southeast, but there is no pileup of upper warm water along the monsoon direction. In addition, the intrusion of the Kuroshio loop through the Luzon Strait, and some local eddies in the SCS, can notably affect the depth, thickness and strength of the thermocline in the deep sea region of the SCS.

The dynamic characteristics of the seasonal thermocline in the deep sea region of the South China Sea were analyzed by using seasonal mean temperature climatology. The thermocline undergoes remarkably seasonal variation throughout a year, is thinnest and weakest in winter, and thickest in spring, strongest in summer and fall. Due to the upper Ekman transport caused by monsoon over the SCS, the thermocline slopes upward (downward) in winter (summer) from northwest to southeast, but there is no pileup of upper warm water along the monsoon direction. In addition, the intrusion of the Kuroshio loop through the Luzon Strait, and some local eddies in the SCS, can notably affect the depth, thickness and strength of the thermocline in the deep sea region of the SCS. Key words seasonal thermocline - South China Sea - Ekman transport - monsoon Project 49636230 supported by NSFC and National Special Research Program (No. 97-926-05-02).